Rise, Artemis!
by phineas81707
Summary: Pit has been captured by Underworld Forces! Viridi has only one hope to save him... but can our trusty heroine brave the tricks and traps Pit can? Only time will tell... Spoilers for Kid Icarus: Uprising. I will spoil ending details and recycle some jokes. If you haven't played Kid Icarus: Uprising, or watched a full walk-through of the game, don't worry.
1. Prologue: Viridi in Skyworld

Palutena rested back in the hot spring, completely at ease with the situation around her. "You have a visitor," a Centurion told her. "Who?" Palutena asked. "The nature goddess," the Centurion told her. "…Send her in," Palutena requested. _Viridi's here? I don't know what could possibly bring her…_ she thought.

She was still in thought when Viridi arrived. "My, haven't you grown?" she said as she noticed her. Although Viridi was actually really old, she often assumed a childish body to match her personality. Goddesses could change their appearance at will, and Palutena was always curious as to why Viridi stayed as young as she did. Viridi responded, "Typical. I always thought you were a sister to Pit. Now I see you're more of a mother." Palutena shrugged. "Why don't you join me?" she asked. Viridi looked at the hot spring, and shrugged.

Viridi hopped into the hot spring, and took a deep breath, clearing her mind. "My, were you eavesdropping on Pit back then?" Palutena asked. "…NO! I just agree with him on how to enjoy a hot spring!" Viridi answered, contradicting herself. "Viridi, if you hadn't eavesdropped, you would have no idea what I just said," Palutena pointed out. "…Argh! This is why I try to kill you!" Viridi cursed. "Aren't those spars?" Palutena asked. Viridi looked blank for a second, and sighed. She exited the hot spring, completely dry as usual. "Where's Pit?" she asked. Palutena thought for a second, and told her, "He went out exploring. He likes to comb the world for stuff he missed on his last adventure." Viridi sighed. It was then a Centurion barged in.

"So sorry to disturb you, Lady Palutena, but it's an emergency!" he said. Viridi looked uncomfortable, and edged away. "No, feel free to stay, Lady Viridi," the Centurion assured, and Viridi stopped. "Pit's been captured," he said. Palutena gasped, but Viridi was stone cold. "Lady Viridi?" the Centurion asked. Viridi said only two words. "Rise, Artemis!"

**Short, but this is merely an introduction to the story.**

**As stated, Pit has been captured by... well, the description says this part for me. Viridi's words are important (let's face it, it's a Title Drop), but how so? Think of all the Artemises (is that the plural of Artemis?) you know, and tell me if you can figure it out.**

**Also, anyone know a catchy signout based on Kid Icarus? My normal one doesn't quite fit ancient Greece...**

**Summer belongs to you, so carpe diem...!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Return of Viridi

Artemis opened her eyes. She looked around the room she was in, and saw an opening. She rushed towards the opening, and jumped out. She let the wind flow through her hair and wings, before activating the power of flight and setting off.

"Nice to see you awake, Artemis," Viridi told her. "Who exactly are you?" Artemis asked. "Oh, you don't know? Why did I awaken you… Whatever. I am the goddess who created you. I'm called Viridi," Viridi replied. Artemis shrugged. "Nice to know someone cares. I've always wanted to be free!" she said. "Don't celebrate too long, Artemis. You've only got five minutes before your wings burn up," Viridi warned her. Artemis sighed, and nodded. She saw a village in trouble, and dived.

"Artemis, what are you doing?" Viridi asked. "There are people in trouble. I can't sit by and watch them die!" Artemis told her. Viridi sighed. "Fine. Only to let you try your strength. Palutena, could you watch this one? I can't stand humans…" she said. Artemis looked vaguely curious at that. "What's wrong with humans?" Artemis asked. "No time for explanations," Palutena told her, and landed her.

Artemis looked around the town. "It looks so… bleak. Is battle always like this?" she asked. "It is the land that suffers when men fight. Such is the way it always has been," Palutena told her. Artemis sighed, and took her weapon. "Wow, a palm? Are you sure you should be using one?" she asked. "I was woken up literally five minutes ago. I didn't have time to grab a better weapon," Artemis told her. "Wow, you are quite sure of yourself!" Palutena remarked. Artemis had no reply, so she stayed quiet.

Artemis battled her way through the town. "…Wait, where am I supposed to be going?" she asked suddenly. "Don't ask me. You're the one who rushed in to this town!" Palutena told her. "Do you mind not joking around? I don't have Viridi to give me competent advice!" Artemis asked. "Sorry, Artemis. I'd recommend going to the colosseum," Palutena apologised. "That's where the fight is."

Artemis walked up to the colosseum. She heard braying from within. "Wait, a dog? This must be Twinbellows…" Palutena remarked. "You know this guy? …Never mind. Do I have to be careful?" Artemis asked. "Oh, very. As part of the Forces of Nature, you are a little susceptible to fire," Viridi pointed out. "I'll send along some Nutski to help you out." "Nutski? Why Nutski?" asked Palutena. "The Forces of Nature are my children. I don't want to lose them. But I care about Artemis too much to not send anyone," Viridi told her. Artemis sighed contentedly. "I'm going in!" she said. "ARTEMIS! WAIT!" Viridi called.

Twinbellows roared, and turned to face Artemis. "Filth of the land, heed our words!" she called out. "And see our actions!" someone claimed. "I am Artemis, servant of the goddess of nature!" Artemis said. "And I am Pit, servant to the goddess of light!" Pit followed. "Together we will rain death upon you!" they both cried out. "So anyone who wants to die, step right up!" Pit alleged, aware that his threat was futile. "And anyone who doesn't want to die, too bad!" Artemis bellowed. "Aw yeah!" they both said. "Viridi, why did you program Artemis with that memory?" Palutena asked, but Viridi apparently wasn't paying attention. "Artemis, do you have any sense of conservation? Save your good cries for the end!" she scolded. Artemis shrugged. "Once I got to the final boss, I'd probably save it for when Godzilla showed up… which would never happen, and this game would go without hearing that cry," she said. Viridi cursed, but the Nutski had arrived. "We'll discuss this later!" she thundered, and began directing the Nutski.

Artemis took her palm, and held it steady. As Twinbellows was distracted by a Nutski, she took a couple of shots at his rear end. Twinbellows turned and howled. "We should have thought this one through!" Viridi said. "Oh, so it's 'we' now?" Palutena asked. "Uh… guys. If you don't want roasted angel, stop your bickering and DO SOMETHING!" Artemis trembled. Viridi directed a Nutski to drop into Twinbellows head. It distracted the dog temporarily, but that wasn't its intention. It landed in the ground, and flowered into a tree. "Big trees from little acorns grow!" Viridi exclaimed, and Artemis climbed up the tree. From there, she had a good landing from which to use her palm. Luckily, she slayed the dog before the tree was burnt. "Bad dog! Bad doggie!" she exclaimed.

"Not bad, Arty Miss. Not bad at all. Though, the Fiend's Cauldron really was empty," someone whispered through the clouds. Artemis turned slowly, and saw a horrible sight. "Hades…" she whispered. "Yes, Arty Miss. It is I, Hades, restored!" Hades told her. Artemis shook her head, and boomed to the heavens, "Listen well, Hades. Your days of darkness are numbered. Prepare to meet the light!" Viridi smirked. "Nice one, Artemis. But it's time to call you back," she said.

Artemis landed, shaken from her fight. "Are you OK, Artemis?" Viridi asked. "Yeah, Viridi… but what happened to Pit?" she asked. "Kidnapped by the Underworld. Namely, that guy you insulted before I drew you back," Viridi told her. "Oh, Viridi… are you sure I'm ready to fight him?" Artemis whispered, tears lightly falling. "Aw, Artemis looks so cute! I'm kind of jealous, actually…" Palutena muttered from behind Viridi. "HEY!" Pit called, and Palutena hastened to apologise. Artemis looked around, and saw Phosphora right next to her, tending to her wounds. Artemis sat down, and let Phosphora help her a little better.

"Viridi, why couldn't we just send Phosphora on these missions?" Artemis asked. "She's not an angel. No offence to her, but she wouldn't last five minutes in the Underworld," Viridi said, somewhat annoyed. Artemis sighed, and leaned back. "Whatever. I'll just take some time to relax," she said.

**This chapter... oh boy, is it a Nutski shell.**

**Artemis is not intended to be an OC, but rather an Expy of Pit while he's busy being kidnapped. My goal is not 25 chapters to correspond to the 25 of Uprising: that won't work. And I did intend on differentiating certain dialogue, but it flopped.**

**And yes, I have no clue as to what Artemis' characterization is. She'll probably flip-flop between various emotions.**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Seafloor Palace

Artemis awoke from her rest that night. "Good morning, Artemis. Sleep well?" Phosphora asked. "Yeah, Phosphora. You?" Artemis responded. "Well enough. You were a little bit of a handful. Cute, though," Phosphora responded. Artemis gasped. "I'm sorry for imposing on you…" she said. "This is me… not caring at all. Newborn as you may be, I already have extreme care for you," she said. Artemis smiled, and rushed down to see the goddesses.

Viridi smiled as she saw Artemis rushing up to her. "Hello, Artemis. Please, sit with me," she told her angel. Artemis sat, perched at the end of her chair. She nervously swallowed her breakfast, unaware of Viridi's plans for the day… which bothered her.

Truthfully, Viridi was in the dark as well.

Her plan was to rush to the Underworld as quickly as possible, and see if they could rescue Pit before too long. However, Palutena insisted that they get as ready as possible… and there was the fact that there was still things that had to be done before they entered the Underworld. As much as Viridi detested the wait, she could see Palutena's logic.

Consequently, Viridi had sent Artemis to the Oceanfloor Palace. "So, Viridi… I see you want Artemis sent in here!" Poseidon bellowed as soon as Artemis spotted the ocean. "Of course, Barnacle Boy. I believe you have a little slug in your depths!" Viridi barked at him. "Insolent girl. Growing up a couple of years doesn't excuse you from childish insolence," Poseidon told her point blank. "True, but remember. Grass beats water!" Viridi pointed out. "Grr… Alright. But don't blame me if Artemis kicks the bucket down here!" Poseidon said. "Uh… Viridi? That was… out of character…" Palutena pointed out. "I forgot to enlist Poseidon's help before we started this chapter!" Viridi growled.

Artemis flew straight into the Oceanfloor Palace. "Right, what is my objective?" she asked. "Viridi, why don't you lecture your angel before you deploy her?" Palutena asked. "Because the players need to know as well!" she responded. Palutena shrugged, and decided to tell Artemis. "Sorry about her, she's stressed out. A lot. If you manage to traverse the Oceanfloor Palace, you'll find Thanatos, reborn _again_," she said. Artemis sighed. "Looks like a long day for me," she sighed.

She made it very deep into the Palace before being spotted. The alert was a weird, upbeat, retro music track. She turned around just in time to see that she had attracted the attention of a Reaper. "I didn't know Thanatos had these employed," Viridi mentioned. "That's because I'm the god of death, my Tsundere child!" Thanatos responded. "Uh, Viridi? Now isn't the time to bicker with an overweight glow-worm," Artemis stated so innocently you wouldn't expect it to be an insult. "Oh, my, what a tragic statement. Good bye, mortal fools!" Thanatos stated. Artemis cowered against the wall as the Reaper raised its scythe…

…way past the point it should have turned to execute a killing stroke. It fell over backwards, and Dark Pit dusted off his hands. "You must be the new angel. My name is Dark Pit, but some people call me Pittoo for some stupid reason," he said, straight to the point. He extended his hand to the fallen lady. Artemis took his hand, and got up, only for her hair to fall out of her face. "H-h-h-h-hi…" Artemis stuttered. Dark Pit took in her dishevelled appearance. "Don't worry, new angel. I'll help you out!" he told her confidently. "By the way, Pittoo, her name is Artemis," Palutena told him. "Nice name," Dark Pit told her. Artemis blushed, and nearly collapsed again.

Dark Pit tried to escort her to Thanatos, but Artemis had some slight issues following. "Urgh! Artemis, Dark Pit is trying to help you!" Viridi pointed out at one terrifying moment when a Reaper nearly saw her. "S-s-s-sorry… my bad…" she whispered, horrified at the thought of holding back Dark Pit. "That's alright, Artemis. The Underworld is ruthless, and it takes a lot of courage to stand up to them… courage Pit possessed in only average amounts. It's a lot to ask someone who's existed for twenty-four hours… now to stand up to them with such force," Dark Pit explained in perhaps too much detail. "Pit is not at all cowardly!" Viridi pointed out in a storm. "Looks like someone is in denial…" Palutena told her. "N-n-n-never! Pit has more courage than anyone I know!" Viridi said. Dark Pit rolled his eyes. "All right, Artemis. Do you mind going alone to fight Thanatos? I have business to attend to elsewhere before I retire…" he said, flying off. Artemis watched him go wistfully, before focusing and pushing through to Thanatos.

"Hello, there, dear angel. All holed up with a little… rrrrromance?" Thanatos questioned. Artemis raised an eyebrow, and then proceeded to direct her orbitars at him. "Listen well, Thanatos. You won't be leaving this room without the help of Hades' life restoring power!" Artemis boasted… wait, she boasted that? Never mind, the boss theme is starting.

"Thanatos will attack by transforming into one of five different forms. Find an appropriate strategy to defeat the forms as he shows them," Palutena told her. "So get your mind off Dark Pit while you're doing this!" Viridi followed up. "What's the big deal. First Thanatos, now you. What is it with my relationship with Dark Pit? He unnerves the acorns out of me…" Artemis claimed. Palutena took a thoughtful second, but it was a second too long. "Oh, don't you know, Artemis? Why, you are really incorruptibly pure, aren't you. Well, you are in love with that clone of Pit's I overlooked," Hades whispered excitedly. Artemis still missed the slight on her and Dark Pit, but noticed the secondary intent. "I will not let you take Dark Pit away from me!" Artemis vehemently exclaimed. "Why? It's not like you saving Pit is a foregone conclusion…" Hades pointed out. "HADES!" Viridi cried out vehemently. "At least try to keep it a secret!" Palutena followed. "I dunno. I'm pretty curious as to how I'll achieve it…" Artemis thought. "ARTEMIS!" Viridi exclaimed, and she focused. "VICTORY!" she cried out. "Wait, go back. I liked that other conversation," she said.

**I'm just fickle when Artemis is around, aren't I? I think she's grown her own personality... and I think she might have inherited obliviousness from Phineas... and the crush from Isabella... she's in trouble.**

**If people are curious as to the origin of her orbitars, that is also somethin I should mention. My goal is 9 chapters, discounting the prologue and possible epilogue, one for each weapon. I know which she is using, but I won't say... partially because I lied about knowing which club she'll use, and partially because one of the weapons is a spoiler. Gathered, people who know Uprising should know which weapon I'm referring to, and claim it's not a spoiler, but I'll try to keep it a secret.**

**And yes, Dark Pit could possibly be a deus ex machina, but I had plans to implement him. I just thought now was as convenient as ever. The Dark Pit and Artemis relationship is all spontaneous, though.**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Prison of Brambles

_Again today I will go soaring in the sky!  
My enemies, I'll dish them up in a stir-fry!  
Gracious Goddess of Nature, watches from up above!  
At dinnertime I always show the cook some love!_

"Viridi, Artemis knows this song because…" Palutena opened, but Viridi did not answer this question. "Artemis, never sing that song again," she told her. "Then why does she have that song?" Palutena forced. "You never know a bad idea until it's actually in action," Viridi assured. And that was as far as Palutena was willing to push the matter.

"So where am I going?" Artemis asked. "Dark Lord Gaol has sent us a report of massive Underworld Forces in her castle. If this goes unchecked, the Underworld gets free reign of the surrounding area… and that would be bad," Palutena stated. Artemis observed the castle as it came into view. "The humans in that castle are going to be a pain," Artemis remarked. "Relax, Artemis. I have a plan in regards to them," Viridi stated. "Luckily, Magnus is away, and that armour of Gaol's protects her. RESET BOMB… ACTIVATE!"

Palutena looked at her, shocked. "You'd deploy a Reset Bomb on the castle?" she asked. "Of course I would. It's not like Gaol would complain," Viridi stated. Palutena rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant. Imagine what Pit would say…" she told her. Viridi thought on it. "PIT! What say you?" she called. "Oh, I'm sorry, Viridi. I've cut off communication with Pit. It kind of defeats the purpose of having him kidnapped if he can talk to you," Hades remarked. "Of course you did," Viridi cursed. "But if you must, he whole-heartedly supports your use of the Reset Bomb. So knock yourself out…" Hades continued. One, two…

BOOM!

The Reset Bomb wiped the castle into its base tangle. "On second thought, I think I preferred the humans. This tangle is going to be the Underworld to traverse. That's not counting those accursed Underworld monsters," Artemis remarked. Viridi told her, "Oh, don't worry. Cragalanche is in there, destroying Underworld forces… and some of the tangle." Artemis shrugged, and cursed. Her cannon wasn't the best weapon to do that with. She plunged into the thicket.

"Which way?" Artemis asked, the thicket extending as far as the eye could see. "Immense dark readings can be traced to the east," Palutena told her. "Wait a second, Lady Palutena… that can't be right," Hades told her. "And why not, Hades?" Palutena questioned. "That room of the castle was sealed off from my troops. There is no way that they could have developed such a presence in such a short amount of time," Hades pointed out. Viridi took a thoughtful second. "This is going to suck. Artemis, although your priority should be the Underworld, I am giving you leave to take down this new threat," she analysed. "Seconded. I'm sending along-" Hades began, before Viridi cut him off. "You aren't sending anything. You are withdrawing your troops before Cragalanche turns them into pancakes," she slowly said.

Artemis slowly entered the dark room. The doors slammed shut. "Ah, hello, new angel. How nice to meet you… and that heavenly hair you hold," Gaol stated. Artemis's free hand flew to her hair. "What about my hair?" she asked. "Part of me wants to let you live long enough to find out. The other half of me wants to kill you. Decisions, decisions," Gaol stated. Artemis' hand dropped to the cannon. "Dark Lord Gaol, I am going to free you of your curse the only way I was programmed how… by violence!" she told her.

Artemis took a couple of shots in preliminary sparring. Dark Lord Gaol did the same. "Look to create an advantage. Force her to wear herself out," Palutena suggested. "Hello, cannon!" Artemis pointed out. Viridi simply looked around thoughtfully. "Get Dark Lord Gaol under the candelabra," she suggested. "What good will that do?" Artemis asked. "JUST TRUST ME!" Viridi stated. "I can see your plan, and it will never work. GAOL, DO NOT GO UNDER THE CHANDELIER!" Hades said. "Gaol cannot hear the gods unless she can see them!" Palutena pointed out. "Oh, just hurry up and invade my home, will you?" Hades cursed. Artemis waved. "She's under the chandelier," she pointed out. "NOW!" Viridi called. Cragalanche stomped on the roof above her, and crushed Gaol under his massive weight.

She crawled out of the armour, and hugged Artemis. "Thank you!" she cried into her shoulder. "You're welcome. One question… what is so important about my hair?" Artemis responded. Gaol took a step back. "I wouldn't have a clue. Sadly, I really can't remember what it was," she said. "I'm sure we'll find out when it's relevant. But for now, I'm getting you out of there," Viridi said.

Artemis sat, looking into her mirror, when a shadow landed on her sill. "Dark Pit!" she squeaked, turning in mid jump. "Relax, Artemis. I've been doing some research into some of our bigger targets. I just wanted to warn you… stay away from the Reaper's Fortress!" Dark Pit told her. Artemis, at the mention of Reapers, fell into Dark Pit's arms. "Listen, Artemis. The goddesses will send you to the Fortress for something important there. This I know somewhat decently, it being important to my birth and all. I want you to stay strong, and if you must travel to the Reaper's Fortress, rest assured I will be there to help," he comforted. Artemis recovered her composure, but remained in Dark Pit's arms. "Stay with me, Dark Pit. I can't imagine a world without you," Artemis whispered. "I shall do my best. Without the other Pit, my best won't amount to much," Dark Pit said. "You're right… I will be strong. For you…" Artemis stated.

**I felt so bad about not doing any writing this weekend, I finished this part from before Viridi mentioned the Reset Bomb.**

**Dark Pit seems to know a lot about the future, and is warning Artemis to stay away from the Reaper's Fortress. Wise advice, considering Artemis seems to be afraid of them to no end, but the goddesses apparently seem to have a different plan...**

**Coming up next: what secrets lie within the Reaper's Fortress? Why do Palutena and Viridi want to send Artemis into that deathtrap? Why does Dark Pit want her to stay away? What will Artemis eventually do?**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	5. Chapter 4: The Darkness Within the Light

Artemis set off on her next mission somewhat apprehensive. "Artemis, your next goal is the Reaper's Fortress. We need to remove that seal on Pandora's location _again_, as Pittoo has told me that the Labyrinth has moved," Palutena told her. "Of course we're going there. Though, please tell me _why_?" Artemis asked. "Hades has scheduled Pit's execution in the Labyrinth of Deceit, and the Reapers are obscuring our access to that confusing twister," Viridi told her. Artemis groaned.

She approached the Reaper's Fortress, where several lasers showed up and directed themselves towards her. Knowing she had only seconds, Artemis dodged all of the lasers, at the expense of sight. An ominous retro cue from behind her indicated an Orne, but as Viridi put it, "They snuck it in too close!" Artemis had no time to even face the danger, but somehow still avoided it. She watched the Orne go past, her arm in no way inhibiting her movement. "Oh my goddess!" Viridi exclaimed. "What happened?" Palutena asked. "And can you teach me to do that?" Dark Pit requested, showing up as promised. "Pittoo? Don't you have important research to be doing?" Palutena queried. "My research pertains to this fort. Artemis' incursion must be observed!" Dark Pit said. "And my name is not Pittoo!" Artemis looked at him uncertainly, before she realised she had nearly spent her five minutes. She landed, Dark Pit following.

Artemis looked around the old fort, hoping to spot a path forward. Dark Pit kept one eye open for Reapers, and made sure that nothing else interfered. "So, you intend to save Pitty Pat, don't you?" Hades asked. "HADES!" Dark Pit said, turning to face him. "Ah, the goth boy! Tell me, how does it feel to know your doom is imminent?" Hades asked. Artemis took a stand between where Hades was showing himself and Dark Pit, spreading herself wide as if to shelter him. "HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DARK PIT!" she called him out. Everyone's eye was shocked by Artemis' action, that Hades hadn't prepared a suitable witty remark. After Hades recovered, he said, "I'm not threatening that loser you apparently picked up. However, when Pit dies, Dark Pit follows shortly after!" he pointed out. Dark Pit gasped. "HADES!" he repeated, trying to get a good shot from behind Artemis. The angel had no idea of his plans, so didn't help him.

Hades shortly vanished, leaving Artemis to turn to Dark Pit. "Is it true? Will Pit's death cause you to die too?" Artemis asked, shocked at the revelation. Dark Pit shot down a Reaper that had spotted them, and said, "It is a distinct possibility. When Pit became a ring, I was less than nothing. It stands to reason that we might die together." Artemis moved to hug him, but Dark Pit forestalled her. "Now isn't the time for sappy romance. If we hurry, we can save Pit!" he said. Artemis nodded, and turned to explore the dungeon. _Please, Dark Pit… survive…_

The pair found the boss. "The Great Reaper _again_? Unoriginal?" Palutena asked. The Reaper expanded, but didn't form a Great Reaper. Instead it formed a Reaper's face on the wall with eye lasers. "You know, I think the Great Reaper was more exciting than this," Viridi stated. Dark Pit shrugged. "Behemoth, sketching or big-lipped alligator, it needs to be at the wrong end of several Silver Arrows," he pointed out. Artemis took her arm, and swung several times at the face… to no effect. However, her last blow was off-balance, and swept the supporting pillar. It collapsed, giving the Reaper a short crush. Dark Pit turned to Artemis. "That's one way to defeat it…" he said, looking at her from a different perspective. Artemis seemed to get what she wanted in confounding ways, but Dark Pit was no stranger to the unorthodox. "Shall we?" he asked, extending his hand. Artemis took it, and stood up. She locked eyes with the duplicate. "We shall!" she responded.

Neither noticed that, in the haste to slay the Reaper and reveal the location of the elusive Labyrinth of Deceit, they had left a stone unturned.

**Ominous foreshadowing... and more accidental Dark Pit/Artemis fuel than you can bat an eyelid at. 'Four is death'? Well... maybe.**

**So it indeed seems like Hades has a master plan (he doesn't, actually), and intends to execute Pit. What does this accomplish? How the Underworld do I know? I don't think Hades thought this plan through...**

**Artemis using an arm here is actually technically process of elimination. However, it won't be until the end that her weapon choice is actually story-relevant. So don't look too closely at her weapon choices until much later. I will definitely say that some of you already know her weapon-related spoiler... maybe.**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	6. Chapter 5: Bickering Among Heads

Pit lay asleep in his quiet cell in the Underworld. It was a complete shock when two Skuttler entered the cell. "Wait, what?" he asked. He expected no more of a response than he got, a boney silence, but it still irked him. He allowed himself to be led away from the cell. _Palutena, please tell me Artemis is on her way,_ Pit thought, hoping desperately Palutena would respond.

The goddess of light was in fact pacing Skyworld's base impatiently, occasionally stopping to hurry Artemis along. "Palutena, a few minutes now could save hours later. Pit doesn't have those hours to spare," Artemis tried to comfort, but this only succeeded in keeping Palutena on edge. Artemis told her steadfastly, while trying to find the blade she was looking for, "Palutena, I am every bit as nervous as you. Dark Pit's life is on the line here. But I can hold back my nervousness, knowing that it is fully within my power to save him!" Palutena relaxed somewhat, but still begrudged the preparations. "OK, I'm ready!" Artemis said, after what felt like an eternity to Palutena. She was relieved to send Artemis flying off to the Labyrinth.

Artemis and Dark Pit entered the opening in space and time together. Despite keeping an eye on each other and never straying more than five feet, the two often travelled in different directions, luckily finding themselves together again within ten seconds. The two landed with five seconds to spare on the power of flight. Artemis' wings started to smell like chicken, but she waved her wings a little and dusted it off.

Pit found himself in the Labyrinth of Deceit. "What am I doing here?" Pit asked. An annoyingly familiar voice responded. "Why, Pit. You're here for your execution!" Pandora called. "PANDORA!" Pit yelled, but he got no further. "The Labyrinth of Deceit is just that. A maze of tricks and traps. Even if Palutena sent any angels into this place, they'd never get here in time!" Pandora claimed. Pit let loose a string of curses. "Language, Pit, or we'll never get past the censors!" Pandora scolded. "How did you?" Pit countered. "Hard work and determination," Pandora icily stated.

Artemis walked along the walls of the Labyrinth, desperately searching for the correct path. "Hello, Pit!" said a deep, rumbling voice. Artemis and Dark Pit both turned in the voice's direction. "YOU! You will never get your helping of angel meat!" Pit responded, and Dark Pit knew exactly where he was. "This way!" he barked, and Artemis followed uncertainly behind him.

"Chicken is way more economical!" Pit told the Hewdraw. "He's right. Can we go home and watch TV?" the purple Hewdraw asked. "No. And if you ask again I'll eat you!" the blue rumbled. "Isn't that a little rough?" the pink asked. "No. We can regenerate these things!" the blue rumbled. All of a sudden, a beam of light shot through the pink Hewdraw's head, severing its jaw and rendering it useless. "Can we _please_ go home and watch TV?" the purple begged. The blue, infuriated by the loss of the pink, gnawed the purple head's neck, severing it and making it useless. "I could do you for afters, Pit!" the Hewdraw called. "Never!" he called, raising his bound arms futilely.

Artemis saw the quick reaction of Dark Pit's as he severed the pink Hewdraw's skull. She hugged Dark Pit in both fear and excitement, inhibiting his mobility. When Artemis realised her mistake and leaped off, the purple Hewdraw's head was dangling by the sinew. Pit raised his bound hands, and Dark Pit severed the ropes. Artemis rushed to Pit, holding out the Palutena Bow. Hades roared. "Guards! Have Pit returned to the Underworld!" he called. He tried withdrawing Pit, but his strength of will stopped him. "Good one, Pit!" Viridi called. Pit took up the Palutena Bow, and Dark Pit came along as well. "Three against one is no fair!" the Hewdraw complained. "Then maybe you shouldn't have killed yourself!" Dark Pit said, and the Hewdraw looked uncomfortably at what had once been his brother in heads.

Pandora came down. "No matter, Hewdraw. We can take them down as a duo. Remember, if we defeat Pit, Dark Pit will fall!" she rallied. Artemis stepped forward. "Underlings of Hades, it's time for you to atone for your crimes. I am Artemis, servant of the goddess of nature. And you. Are. History!" she called. "What-?" Palutena began, but Viridi was as tight-lipped as ever. Dark Pit and Pit twirled their bows, and Artemis held her blade up high. They all turned their weapons to the 'ready' position.

"Pandora is your greatest challenge in this fight. Focus your efforts on her, though keep one eye on the Hewdraw!" Palutena observed. "I am a greater threat to you angels than a Hewdraw? I am outraged! Die, angels! Go back to Hades!" Pandora roared. "That's a bad thing? I thought you would be honoured!" Palutena pointed out. "Oh, and I'm less of a threat than prancing Pandora?" the remaining Hewdraw head asked. "I don't _prance_, Hewdraw!" Pandora called. "You do prance a little, though…" Pit nervously told her. "Is it wrong for a girl to show herself off a little?" Pandora teased. "Yes. It's embarrassing and belittling," Viridi stated. "Soil sports, the all of you! I'll have you fed to the Hewdraw!" Pandora called in one final rage. Dark Pit lay the final blow, and she fell to the ground. She somehow rolled into the centre of the room, and the Hewdraw snapped her up. Pit gave one arrow on the Palutena Bow, and it became the Hewdraw's last meal. "Dark Pit, may you take my hand?" Artemis asked. Dark Pit clasped it, and Palutena withdrew them. Viridi took Pit.

"Alright, Viridi. I think it's finally time for you to reveal why you had so much knowledge of Pit… and why Artemis does as well," Palutena stated. "I think you had that figured out during the Aurum invasion!" Viridi claimed. "Humour me," Palutena said. "I have a soft spot for him…" she said. Pit smirked. "Well, thanks, Viridi," he said. Viridi chose not to respond with a barbed comment. "That's also why I didn't send Phosphora on this mission, as well as why Artemis doesn't know about romance," she did say, which got Phosphora's attention. "Was that really necessary?" Pit asked. "Probably not, but it's better to be safe. And I didn't have to reveal it so soon!" Viridi cheerfully said. Dark Pit turned to Artemis. She blushed, and Dark Pit asked, "She isn't aware of romance, or is incapable of feeling it?" Viridi said, "The first one. The second one would be cruel."

**Finally, some answers. Some of these plot twists were a little spontaneous (like the fact Pit got rescued at this point, and Viridi revealing her crush), but I did at least serve up a chapter I'm proud of.**

**I do have some plan of direction, but it might take a while. The plan involves something I can't fit in to my storyline, so that plot point will probably be of the deus ex machina type. If it will never work, I might put the intended passage into a deleted scene or something.**

**Coming up next, we'll meet a new foe that only exists to give a purpose to Artemis' club of choice. And no, as much as I enjoyed the Viridi-Pit banter about clubs in the game, I can't fit it into the next chapter. It's out of Artemis' character, and Pit will always use the Palutena Bow (aka the one he used in Super Smash Brothers Brawl).**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	7. Chapter 6: The Aurum Fleet

Artemis woke up that morning fresh and ready to go. Pit was safe, but she still wanted to run Hades through for threatening Dark Pit's existence. She stared out the window, lost in her thoughts, before noticing something… ominous. "Palutena? Viridi? What are those?" she called down. Viridi divined the sight through Artemis' laurel crown. "Oh, my, gosh! Wake up Dark Pit! We have a battle to take part in!" Viridi exclaimed. She woke up Dark Pit, and rushed down.

"We seem to have a resurgence of the Aurum," Viridi stated. "Aurum? Are they those weird alien things?" Artemis asked. "You've seen an Aurum?" Palutena queried. "I vaguely have an image of a Tribyte, but I don't know how I got it… and speaking of which, shouldn't we call the Aurum the 'Argentum'? It feels more logical…" Artemis responded. "…Ignoring that completely, our goal is the Aurum Brain. I trust the defeat of that will be the end of this Aurum invasion…" Palutena said. The angels nodded, and set off.

The Aurum troops were many. It took all six keen eyes in order to prevent too many surprise attacks. They eventually made it to the Aurum Brain's ship. "How do we get in? I can't find an opening…" Artemis wailed. Dark Pit started flying around the ship, hoping to find a weakness. It was Pit, however, who found the way. He flew up to an Aurum Destroyer, and hijacked it. Using his best Hades impression, he said, "When freaky aliens give you lemons, make freaky alien lemonade. Like… _this_!" Both Viridi and Artemis looked at his manoeuvre in shock.

Dark Pit and Artemis entered the Aurum Brain's holding place. They could easily slay the mind, but it wasn't over yet. The Brain caused a cosmic disturbance, vacuuming the three angels to the Aurum home world. Without the guardian goddesses, this fight may be the hardest they will face. Pit asked, "Now what?" Artemis, impersonating Viridi, stated, "What else? We find whoever's leading the Aurum, and kick its bucket!" A shocked second. "Palutena's right. You're not funny. Come on!" Dark Pit said. He and Pit hurried off, leaving a distraught Artemis behind in their haste. The girl turned around to spot a curious little crevice. She went to investigate it, and what she saw shocked her.

There were more Aurum troops here than the Underworld Army and the Forces of Nature combined could handle. And by 'Forces of Nature', she included herself, but not the two Pits. She considered calling the other two and disabling this base, but she saw more Aurum troops being generated. She decided that leaving was the best option. Backing away in her chosen direction, she activated a trap she had somehow missed. All of the Aurum troops awoke. Artemis had but a single thought: "Whoops."

Pit and Dark Pit both turned at a horrible sound. The sound of pure terror. Before either could make a move, they were dumped into a corrupted arena, flashing a red alert. The centre of the room opened to reveal the Aurum Core. It began creating it's shields, as well as electrifying the floor and summoning Aurum reinforcements. "Now what?" Pit asked. Dark Pit circled on his feet, searching for the best solution. "We beat the Aurum Core," was the best he could come up with.

Artemis fared a little better. She fell through a trapdoor as well, entering a room with a different boss battle. The Aurum Generator. She felt that this was spawning those Aurum troops without actually knowing for certain. She spun on her sandals, and realised she was, in fact, on a grind rail. "I don't think we are fighting separately to the gods," she figured, before turning her club to the Generator. The weight of it almost made her fall off, but she held her balance.

"Focus your attacks on the centre, the Aurum generator itself. Never attack an enemy unless it's close enough to melee. And feel free to switch grind rails!" Artemis told herself, mimicking Palutena's advice-giving tones. "Dark Pit was right. I'm not funny. Still don't know if I can forgive him for his lack of tact…" she told herself normally. She swung her club, nearly falling off again. "This isn't going to work…" she thought. She looked at a Tribyte that had shown up next to her. She attempted a swing at it, trying to see if she could smash the Tribyte into the Generator. She found it worked, as she did not feel like she was about to fall off. Smiling, she turned to the Aurum Monoeye that was following her. As bee-like as the system was, that Monoeye showed fear.

Pit and Dark Pit were faring far worse than Artemis. The laser-firing shields, electrified floor, and Aurum troops made it difficult to find an opening in which to shoot the Aurum Core. That was, until the troops seized up. "Pittoo! I think the Aurum are afraid!" Pit called. Dark Pit destroyed one of the shields, and responded with a dry, "Apparently." If people calling him Pittoo didn't annoy him, people stating the obvious and/or being overly positive definitely did. And Pit just did all three. He gave a couple of shots to the Aurum Core, dodged the electric field, and aimed to shoot again. Pit, however, stole the final hit. "VICTORY!" Pit called. "Do you have to be so annoyingly cheerful?" Dark Pit asked.

Artemis had swung several enemies into the core. "Just one more," she whispered, rearing up to hit an Aurum Mik. All of a sudden, the Generator shorted out, and the grind rails were thrown out of whack. Artemis found herself launched into the air. Before falling back down, she found herself in Palutena's withdrawing light.

Artemis, Pit and Dark Pit all landed in Skyworld. Artemis took the lead, and described her sights. Palutena breathed a sigh of relief, "Looks like we won't be seeing too many Aurum in the future," she said. "For now, you need to rest. There's a dangerous foe for you to fight tomorrow…" Artemis looked at her. "How do you-?" she started. "Tomorrow. It's better if you see it for yourself.

**I am sorry. Why, you ask? I have had this ready during school, about four hours ago. I hate me too for delaying this chapter by so many hours, but luckily it's not really an important chapter. If I had delayed _Bickering Among Heads_ by so many hours, I would literally have kicked myself. I am technically doing it now, but that's just moving to the beat of Crocodile Cacophony.**

**Anyway, this chapter has two major development flaws in it which inhibit is slightly. 1: My computer crashed during the writing process, and Auto Recovery didn't save as much as I would have liked. From Pit hijacking the Aurum ship to Artemis finding the Aurum stock is second time writing, which I find is rushed and of lower quality. 2: As I said, I finished it in school, and my normally creative Kid Icarus references were stopped. I wouldn't have put Aurum Monoeye and Aurum Mik as foes in the Generator passages, but I didn't have access to Icaruspedia.**

**Now that I've finished bashing my bad luck on this chapter, the next will have something Kid Icarus: Uprising was definitely missing, especially to those who, unlike me, hate Viridi. And, without further spoiler...**

**I AM PHINEAS81707, SERVANT OF THE GODDESS OF DAWN! I had no need to shout that, but it felt good...**


	8. Chapter 7: The Spirit of Chaos

Artemis and Dark Pit woke up that morning. Pit seemed paralysed in a nightmare. Both shrugged, and Artemis left without a word. Dark Pit watched her go, wondering what had made her so grouchy after the Aurum invasion. He failed to link the absence of her happy-go-lucky attitude to his unintentional slur on the Aurum home world. He followed behind, careful to give her space.

"Good morning, Artemis. Good morning, Dark Pit," Palutena called. Her cheery greeting did not match her feelings, or those of the angels. "Um… where's Pit?" she decided to ask. "Trapped in a nightmare," Artemis snarked. Palutena noticed the bad mood. "You can feel it?" she asked. Artemis, who had no idea what was going on, said, "Yes…" Dark Pit didn't know what was going on either, so she knew Palutena would explain it to him, at least.

Her prediction turned out to be correct. "OK, there has been a slight anomaly in recent events. Lady Viridi has been acting very strangely as of the time you left our world. I think you should go and see what's wrong," Palutena claimed. Dark Pit gasped. "The Chaos Kin!" he exclaimed. Artemis turned to him, forgetting to be annoyed with him. "The Chaos… wait, did you say 'Kin'?" Artemis asked. "Why does Artemis know all of Pit's jokes, but nothing about the important stuff?" Dark Pit asked nobody in particular. Seeing as Palutena was the only option, and she opted to say nothing, he got no answer. Dark Pit continued, "The Chaos Kin has only one goal: to spread chaos as far as possible. Last time, he possessed Palutena, but it must have known there were three angels here. He has taken residence in Viridi's soul. If we don't hurry, Viridi's life… no, her soul, will be taken by the Chaos Kin." They had no choice. They moved out.

"So, Dark Pit… how do you know so much about the Chaos Kin?" Artemis asked. Dark Pit responded with, "That's what I was researching while you were fighting obese and dumb Thanatos. He was in the Reaper's Fortress. I was stupid. I didn't make sure to kill him. But I guess there's no use crying over molten feathers." Artemis couldn't help but soften up a little. But only for a moment.

They made it to the Forces of Nature's stronghold. "Hello, Dark Pit. How lovely to see you. And of course, you too, Artemis. I should be thankful for all that you have done. But it will be infinitely more fun to kill you. Megonta! Clobbler! Have these fools sent to Hades!" Viridi taunted. Artemis jittered. "Megonta and Clobbler! Perhaps the two most threatening grunts of the Forces of Nature!" she cursed. The Megonta rolled around, and the Clobbler burrowed out from the ground. "Megonta I understand. But why does this thing rank as more threatening than Nutski?" Dark Pit asked. Artemis was affronted. She was second-in-command of the Forces of Nature, and the idea of insulting them was as anathema to her as it was to Viridi… but then she remembered being second-in-command to the Forces of Nature wasn't something to boast about when you're about to confront the leader. She used her claws to beat down Clobbler, and it mutated into its deadly form. "Gotcha," Dark Pit said.

Artemis took down the Megonta. Using the closer range weapon, she could get to the squishy underside easier, and the decent range offered by the claws allowed access to its belly when in its weakened state. Dark Pit handled the Clobbler easily. "Argh! Curses! Those grunts were weak. But you'll see. Before you get up to me, you'll beg for it to be this simple again!" Viridi called. Artemis and Dark Pit both caught on to the biggest red flag- Viridi considered the Forces of Nature her children. No matter how many dropped to Pit's feet, she would never call them 'weak'. Or 'grunts'. They both nodded- this confirmed that the Chaos Kin was in fact hosting Viridi.

Before they made it to Viridi, they encountered Phosphora. Neither had used their Drink of the Gods, saving that for the encounter with Viridi. Neither could use it now, as Palutena held onto them. "Well, well. I think, now that Viridi's thoughts are in the open about Pit, that I show you just how powerful the lightning flash truly is!" Phosphora boasted. Dark Pit looked at her uncertainly. There may or may not be any Chaos Kin spirit within her, but it was highly doubtful they'd get the chance to ascertain it.

Phosphora soon showed Artemis and Dark Pit, neither of whom had seen Phosphora in battle personally, why they called her the 'Lightning Flash'. Each of her lightning attacks was delivered at high speeds. Artemis, luckily, had brought claws to this match, and was thus able to dodge her attacks, along with providing some swift and powerful attacks in the meantime. Dark Pit, who was 'encumbered' by the Silver Bow, fared worse off than Artemis. He couldn't fire many shots, and had to resort to just dodging to survive the onslaught. Artemis could 'beat' Phosphora, but not before she did one final act. She shocked Dark Pit. "Dark Pit!" Artemis exclaimed, reverted to worrying about him at long last. "Art… emis… please… defeat… Viridi… I… can't… go on… I'm… fin… ish… ed…" Dark Pit groaned, before being blipped out of existence. "NO! I am so sorry, Artemis!" Phosphora moaned, having returned to her normal state. Artemis wiped her tears on the back of her arm, staring at Dark Pit's last resting place. "Artemis, come on!" Phosphora moaned, this time in a sense of urgency. Faintly, the memory of _Viridi is captured by the Chaos Kin, destroying mankind_ swam to the forefront of her mind, and she re-entered the action.

Viridi stood before them, calm and collected. "So, you're here to fight me, Artemis?" she challenged. "No…" Artemis began. "NO! I'm here to save you!" she finished, and she and Viridi engaged. Phosphora sat this one out because her attacks were ill suited to fight her. Viridi attacked by sending vines in sweeping motions with that scythe of hers. "Aim for the Chaos Kin," Palutena warned, but Artemis never needed that warning less. She couldn't bring harm to Viridi. She took aim at the Chaos Kin within her, occasionally taking down the occasional Nutski, Urgle or Flage that showed themselves. She eventually beat the Chaos Kin, and Viridi returned to normal. The Chaos Kin turned to Viridi, attempting to withdraw her soul, but Viridi gave one sweep of her scythe. "We're saving the next chapter for something else, Chaos Kin!" she roared.

**Unintentional double update! But this chapter does have an important detail... Dark Pit's death. Saving this chapter for tomorrow, which is about 18 hours away, would be a horrible part of my conscience.**

**Aside from Dark Pit, Pit is trapped in a nightmare (he had a link to Viridi), and I have no intention of having him rejoin the plot, so... note he did actually wake up when the Chaos Kin died. Phosphora has likely undergone some slight shock from that event, so she won't help out much in the final chapters. Palutena, and technically Viridi, will be Artemis' only help in the final stretch of the race... or so one might expect.**

**Even though the offering of clues will provide a spoiler, I will state this: Note how I followed the 'Never Say Die' pathway.**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	9. Chapter 8: A Wing Down Memory Lane

Artemis wandered up to the gate and leaped out with less than her usual gusto. "What's wrong, Artemis?" Palutena asked. "What do you think, Palutena? Dark Pit is dead!" Artemis responded. "Oh…" Palutena could only respond with a single grunt. "Anyway, while Palutena gets over insulting you," Viridi started, with Palutena interrupting by saying, "I am no goddess of light," and finished with, "Your objective this time is the lair of Lord Dyntos."

Artemis, with plenty to think about, emerged into the constellation home of Dyntos. "Wait, why am I here, again?" Artemis asked. "A good question, I might add. I worked the forges day and night to bring back everything from the war, and I was promised a good nap. I've been sleeping for less than a month!" Dyntos replied, clearly enraged. "My apologies, Lord Dyntos," Viridi said. "We're here to collect the Three Sacred Treasures." Dyntos peered at the angel. "Well well, I suppose I could help you out. But I can't just hand out the Three Sacred Treasures to just anybody, you know. I'll have to test you to see if I can count on you," Dyntos pointed out. Artemis sighed. "Why must everything try to kill me, too?" she asked. "Because Hades," Viridi and Dyntos both said.

Artemis landed, and her first note was that she couldn't move along three planes, forcibly restrained to two-dimensions. "What sort of challenges are these?" Artemis asked, noticing that her speech came in text form. "The four trials will take place according to the laws of Pit's first adventure. It is designed to test your true skill… and I didn't feel like making a third plane," Dyntos explained. "Was the 8-bit formation really necessary?" Artemis texted. "Yes. Now let me get some beauty sleep!" Dyntos ordered. Artemis shrugged, and began the long trek up.

The first trial was perhaps the trickiest of the bunch. Fire. She dodged and weaved through the pillars of fire, and the powerful enemies that lay in wait, until she encountered the boss of the trial. 8-bit Twinbellows. "Why must I fight this guy like this?" Artemis complained. Viridi observed the attack pattern. "You can attack this guy from anywhere, and it doesn't use as much fire as he did in the third dimension. I'd sent Nutski to attack it, but they didn't exist back then," Viridi evaluated. Artemis, already firing arrows anywhere on Twinbellows' body and dodging the few fireballs, questioned, "Obviously. Anything else?" Palutena looked down in the corner. "He's got-" she started, before Twinbellows fell and became the First Sacred Treasure. "-one hit point left…" Palutena finished lamely. Artemis took the Sacred Trasure, and continued on to the next fortress.

Thankfully, this next challenge was an oceanic dungeon. She swam through the place, noting that she was possibly the first angel to swim. Smiling to herself, she popped out of the sea. The ocean turned purple, and a blue lung emerged from the waters. "Hewdraw!" Palutena roared. "So this is how Hewdraw spent his 2D days?" Artemis asked. "Stay on the platforms! He can't hurt you there!" Viridi pointed out. True enough, the Hewdraw's leaps didn't affect her because he had to land in the water. Artemis still had some good aim with her bow, and thus could easily trump the Hewdraw. He became the Second Sacred Treasure, and Artemis collected it.

The third dungeon made the Labyrinth of Deceit look like a straight path. Artemis couldn't be sure, because of the 2D nature of the place, but she could swear she revisited some rooms on a different wall. Even Palutena couldn't divine the way. After emerging on what she hoped was the floor of the boss chamber, she met a blue orb she didn't recognise. "Pandora!" Palutena shrieked. "That's Pandora? Last time I saw her, she was an **amazon** beauty that was definitely human…" Artemis wrote, before running out of room on the screen to put it on. "She was cursed from that form to this one. She used the Rewind Spring to become the amazon once more," Palutena explained. Artemis was in the long haul to defeat blobby. Once she did, she became the Third Sacred Treasure. Artemis combined the three, and equipped them all.

The fourth and final trial was obviously a tutorial for the Three Sacred Treasures. Specifically, the Mirror Shield. She was in a 2D air battle, where she dodged, weaved, and took attacks to the new Mirror Shield. After all the practice she needed, she encountered the fourth trial… another one of these faces. This time, it was Medusa. From behind the Mirror Shield, Artemis fired her bow straight into the face, dodging Tanatos as he leaped forward. Hitting the final time, Artemis could progress to the victory chamber. "Congratulations, Artemis. You have done well," Palutena put onto the screen, returning Artemis to the base. Dyntos added one parting remark: "Don't come back for another 25 years, or whenever Hades revives himself. Whichever comes last!"

Artemis landed in Skyworld. As soon as she arrived, she removed the Three Sacred Treasures, and gave them to Viridi. "Next time, Hades will pay!" Artemis threatened. Viridi smirked, and patted Artemis on the back. "Yes, yes he will. But for now, relax. The fight against Hades will be the hardest yet."

**Oh, and it might be! I have several different plans for the Underworld. Whether or not the Underworld will be the longest chapter will depend on how much content I can deliver.**

**And yes, for those of you who haven't played (or seen) Kid Icarus for the NES, this chapter was pretty dedicated to it. Three mini dungeons, ending with Twinbellows, Hewdraw and Pandora, who drop the Three Sacred Treasures. Zelda I inspired text. No swimming. The aerial section at the end with the Three Sacred Treasures, right down to Medusa, Thanatos and Palutena. Only the obvious is different.**

**And for those curious, the weapon spoiler effectively begins now. Was Artemis using a bow for this chapter? Or was she using a staff, and technical limitations forced her to use that straw-shooter? Find out next time on Lady Artemis: Rising. ...Moving on.**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	10. Chapter 9: Scorched Feathers

Artemis ripped down the hallway, and soared out of the gate. "My, you seem somewhat eager!" Palutena pointed out. "Sooner I beat Hades, sooner this quest is over!" Artemis called. "Seriously, Artemis? That is your reasoning?" Viridi asked. "What else?" Artemis asked. "Artemis, just focus. Get your revenge on Hades, keep him pressed down for another 25 years, and get out," Pit said. "OK. You don't have to be so negative about it…" Artemis mumbled. She flew through the Underworld Forces, with her mighty Arrow of Light.

She plunged into the white nothingness that was the Underworld's gate. She held up Thanatos' key, and it shined into the core of the room. It opened wide, and Artemis shot through the centre. She emerged in a barren land. "So this is the Underworld?" Artemis asked. "The land of the dead. Pit's lost a lot of lives down here, so please be careful," Palutena warned her. Artemis took it in her stride, and flew through to the Fortress.

She found the Gatekeeper again. "Out of curiosity, why is this guy here, Hades?" Palutena asked. "Oh, just a little bit of fun I like to have. He's very effective in his job!" Hades responded. Artemis had to concede that Hades was in fact correct. She found it exceptionally tricky to defeat the Underworld Gatekeeper. However, Viridi seemed to know this, and sent along the most potent of the Forces of Nature.

Pit.

Pit drop-kicked the Underworld Gatekeeper. "Palutena, that is a strategy I highly recommend should we ever fight this guy in future," Viridi stated. Pit turned to Artemis in a flash of green. "The Forces of Nature can't infiltrate the castle too deep. We'll surround this place, and take out the troops out here," Pit told her. "But your wings-" Artemis started. "Viridi found and fixed the problem in them. She must really like me…" Pit stated. He flew off, and the Forces of Nature that had formed up during the conversation followed. Artemis entered the castle.

Artemis looked around the room. "Oh, a thousand curses," Hades stated. Artemis turned to find out what was the issue. "We had a whole plethora of challenges here, but when we heard Dyntos was doing pretty much the same thing, we had to tear down and make something else to pass the time. And now that you're here, we've got nothing for you to do. Oh well, you can go home," Hades stated. Artemis turned on her heel and left the room. Hades then cursed again. "That was the way forward, without these challenges…" he muttered. Artemis told him, just as quietly, "I knew that."

Dark Pit tried to take down the walls of his cell. "Urgh! This is not good whatsoever!" he cried, trying to get out and help Artemis. Hades' taunts had told him that she was alive and kicking… hard. Hard enough to cause a crack to appear in his cell. He turned, and mustered up his thought-speak. "Artemis, do that again," he told her in a slightly different tone. She complied, and the wall became much more cracked. "Once more!" Dark Pit called, and Artemis shot. The wall caved in, and Dark Pit smirked. He activated his temporary power of flight, and soared out of the cell, taking down a legion of Underworld forces before landing at Artemis' side.

Artemis had heard the odd advice to shoot the wall. It didn't really help her, but she knew that she should. Upon the final blow, she revised her estimate. "That was helpful," she said as a purple missile launched out of the hole, peppered the Underworld with arrows, and landed next to her. She felt her legs weaken. It was Dark Pit. She threw her arms around him, smiling with pure joy that Dark Pit was alive. He started to move his arms to push her away, but then thought otherwise. He placed his arms around her neck, feeling her hair as sweet relief from the dank Underworld cells. Artemis finally let him go, and Dark Pit was, for the first time in his life, glad to see someone by his side.

Artemis reached for her back. "Artemis?" Dark Pit asked, but he got no further. The Wings of Pegasus detached from Artemis' spine. Likewise, the Mirror Shield dropped from her arm not long after, and the Bow of Light landed at her feet. She scooped them up, and gave them to Dark Pit. "Artemis, you want me to have these?" Dark Pit asked, looking at the Three Sacred Treasures with a somewhat apprehensive outlook. "Dark Pit, I know these are do-all and end-all tier weapons. But I want you to take them. They just… don't feel right to me, you know?" she explained vaguely. Dark Pit took them, and reluctantly equipped them. "Tee hee. My, don't you look handsome?" Artemis said impulsively. Dark Pit looked around. The Three Sacred Treasures somehow worked for him. "But what about you, Artemis?" he asked. Artemis reached for her bag of holding, and withdrew a staff. "This feels right for me," she said. Dark Pit examined the metal staff. It's hooks, and the tiny scope at the start, identified it easily. "The Dark Pit Staff?" he asked. "Of course. It's a perfect match for me… rather like its namesake," Artemis said somewhat flirtatiously. Dark Pit smiled… his first genuine smile. "I hate to break up this sappy little conversation… but isn't there something you need to take care of?" Viridi asked. Artemis and Dark Pit both shook themselves out of it, and continued on.

Towards the end, they found one of the more important enemies. The Tempura Wizard. His blows were pretty powerful, and both angels had a hard time dodging. However, it was Dark Pit who was hit by the wizard… moments before Artemis took it down. She hugged Dark Pit, and her hair touched the tempura. Dark Pit returned to normal. "What?" Palutena, Viridi, and Hades all cried out. "I thought that only nurses and the gods could remove one of the wizard's curses!" Pit called. Dark Pit was the only one with a rational thought. "Who cares how Artemis did it. She did, and that's good enough for me," he said. Artemis shed a tear, but he had continued on.

"So we finally meet, Artemis!" Hades roared. Artemis took to the forefront. "Listen well, demons of the Underworld! In the names of the goddesses Palutena and Viridi, defenders of all that is good or natural, those who hide in the darkness will be made to face the light!" she said. Her hair glowed a pure golden colour, and her wings followed suit. She had activated the power of flight. Dark Pit took a second to be impressed, before taking to the sky with the Wings of Pegasus.

The first fight was flying around Hades, shooting alternately as each sought to distract Hades from the other. After enough punishment, Viridi encased Hades' legs in vines, allowing for a similar battle. After all was said and done, Hades activated his true form. From his chest burst a blue head, encased in similarly coloured flames. "In truth, my old body is still dead. The Underworld Army was kind enough to create a replacement, but I guess I'll have to deal with you like this!" Hades roared. He charged like a bull, Artemis and Dark Pit dodging like mad. Artemis spun right around, and triggered an explosion of shots. "Hades, Hades, Hades. You just don't learn, do you? Have a proper body before you take on two angels of greater power than Pit," Artemis told him. "HEY!" Viridi and Pit called down. "Alright. Equal power!" Artemis said. Both she and Dark Pit were withdrawn, and Hades exploded in a burst of souls. "I'll be back! With better writing in future!" he roared.

Artemis and Dark Pit landed in Skyworld. They both threw their weapons to the side, and embraced in true passion. Pit landed right beside them, and saw the two. "Uh… wow. I'll… just be clearing this up," he said. "Phosphora! You can help out with this, if you don't mind," Viridi stated. Phosphora shrugged, and took the various weapons. Viridi took the time to hug Pit herself. Dark Pit briefly opened his eyes, and saw Pit and Viridi. "Hm. I guess it all worked out after all. Hades… I still hate you," Dark Pit whispered. "Huh?" Artemis asked. "Nothing. It's what we're all thinking… I think," Dark Pit told her. Artemis beamed. "I know I can count on you," she said. She sunk her face into Dark Pit's shoulder. He was shocked to find tears, but the sobs suggested they were of the joyful kind.

**Considering I had Kid Icarus to work with, I think this ending is rather special. ...OK, there probably will be an epilogue, but this'll do.**

**And as to how these couples will actually have kids, and what they'll be like, I say to you... no clue. A goddess and an angel don't seem like a good match up, and I highly doubt Dark Pit or Artemis will be able to have a safe kid, considering they are both abnormally created.**

**And as to why Arlon and Magnus make no appearance, they just never quite fit. If you have any other favourite characters, they also didn't fit or slipped my mind. Don't consider their absence an insult, but they really didn't work.**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn!**


	11. Epilogue

Artemis woke up. She saw Dark Pit lying next to her, and for a second she wondered what had happened. Then she remembered… Hades was gone. She smiled at the thought, and left to go attend to something to distract herself.

She found Viridi, awake much earlier than was usual for her. "You couldn't sleep, too?" she asked. Artemis replied in the negative. "Ah. Oh well. I'm just apprehensive as to what exactly Pit wants to do…" Viridi asked. Artemis' eyes shot up. "Pit? Why exactly should his decisions send you pacing like you're more nervous than I have ever been?" she asked, genuinely curious. "You really want to know?" Viridi asked. Artemis nodded.

"I am a goddess. He is an angel. Even though I care for him much more than any of my children, and I know he loves me to some degree, we just feel too different to actually act on our feelings!" Viridi said. Artemis nodded, in deep thought. She didn't know what to say to help her. "And you? You have anything on your mind?" Viridi asked. "Dark Pit. Neither of us are supposed to exist. He was a clone from the Mirror of Truth, intended to serve under Medusa… except he was botched. I was created by you to… I don't know why you made me. But you never had any intention of allowing me to understand love. I don't know if either of us are capable of expressing much love, much less have a relationship you and Pit can at least hope to achieve," Artemis rambled. Viridi was shocked. "I had no idea you felt so strongly… I'm sorry for the stress I've undoubtedly put on you," she muttered. "I don't blame you, Viridi," Artemis said simply.

Dark Pit woke up with Pit. "Wait, why are you leading the Forces of Nature?" he asked. "Palutena and Viridi are officially joining forces. With me and Viridi, and to a lesser extent you and Artemis, falling for each other, it will become too much of a hassle for us to be different armies," Pit explained. "Woah, woah. Back up the chariot, there. How long have I been one of Skyworld's forces?" Dark Pit asked. "You aren't?" Pit asked. "No. I've always been lone wolf," Dark Pit assured him. "Oh… well… you do know that you might have to lose that, right?" Pit asked. "Yes. Don't remind me," Dark Pit said. He looked off into the distance. "But I wouldn't change a thing. Artemis needs me. She knew that when she gave me the Three Sacred Treasures. She knows that, no matter how strong she is, I will always be protecting her. I…" he elaborated. "Yes?" Pit encouraged. "I care about her. I love her," Dark Pit said. "Well… I'd love to keep that secret, but these things have a way of getting out. Promising to keep it a secret will just make it worse when everyone knows about it," Pit stated sagely. Dark Pit chose to say nothing.

Artemis sat alone in Skyworld's finest hot spring, easing away her pain. She knew that her hopes were wilder than whatever it was Viridi was doing. But she continued to clutch at them. "Artemis," someone stated behind her. She turned slowly. "Oh… hello, Dark Pit," Artemis stated. Dark Pit came down next to her, not completely submerging himself. Artemis climbed out of the spring, and sat down with him. "Well?" Artemis asked, resting her head on Dark Pit's shoulder. "Well… Artemis. I love you," he said simply. Artemis gave Dark Pit a cursory squeeze, but no more. "Dark Pit… I love you too…" she whispered. Dark Pit raised her head up to see her face, which was swimming with tears. "What?" Dark Pit asked.

"Dark Pit… do we actually exist? You were a clone created from that dumb mirror of Pandora's. I was some angel Viridi was making on a whim, with absolutely no regard for feelings. Do we have hope of actually loving one another?" Artemis asked. Dark Pit took a second to speak, but Artemis' point defeated him. She was right: both were abominations of nature. He mulled it over, before finding his point, "It matters not how we were born, but how we grow to be." Artemis slid back, shocked. Dark Pit reached into his wing, and pulled out a ring for Artemis. "Will you accept my love, Artemis?" Dark Pit asked. Artemis broke into a grin. "Of course, Dark Pit. Why wouldn't I?" she asked.

**Just a little epilogue, nothing more.**

**I will concede: Last notes ruined the last chapter's impact. Why I haven't removed them is anyone's guess.**

**I'm going to try to do a story idea that I've been kicking around for quite some time. If it works, expect my first crossover. I will let you know in the profile if it fails, as I normally do. If you are reading this in the future and you know my next story, this doesn't apply to you (I envy you guys...)**

**I am phineas81707, servant of the goddess of dawn! My next signout will probably be bad if it's what I think it is!**


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